


Nothing More Lovely

by emptydistractions



Series: The One Moment That Matters [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Blindfolds, Bottom Bucky Barnes, Consensual Kink, Dom Steve Rogers, Dom/sub, Dom/sub Play, Flogging, M/M, Orgasm Denial, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Public Sex, Rope Bondage, Spanking, Sub Bucky Barnes, Top Steve Rogers, Voyeurism, Watching, Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2020-03-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:41:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23263381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emptydistractions/pseuds/emptydistractions
Summary: “I’ve left you plenty of slack in case you want to move.” Steve’s breath tickled the back of Bucky’s neck as he left the rope in Bucky’s hands. Steve moved around him, checking the integrity of his knots, his voice low. “But I know you’ll stay still to show everyone just how good you are.”Steve Rogers has found his dream sub in Bucky Barnes. He's perfect: beautiful and obedient and so, so eager to please. All Steve wants to do is show Bucky off to the entire world. But for now, just New York will have to do.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Series: The One Moment That Matters [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1914124
Comments: 12
Kudos: 205
Collections: MCU Kinkbang 2020





	Nothing More Lovely

**Author's Note:**

> Collaboration with [xPixelx](https://archiveofourown.org/users/xPixelx/pseuds/xPixelx/works) for the MCU 2020 Kinkbang! Fic written by emptydistractions with beautiful, beautiful art by xPixelx. It was a ton of fun to work on!
> 
> Betaed by the lovely and amazing lillaby!
> 
> Tumblr links:  
> [emptydistractions](https://emptydistractions12.tumblr.com/)
> 
> [xPixelx](https://xpi-x-elx.tumblr.com/)

“I’m nervous.”

Bucky watched Steve’s face for a reaction. The golden glow of the passing street lamps lit the angle of his jaw and cheekbones while casting the rest of his face in a harsh chiaroscuro. Everything was silent, save for the rumble of the car’s tires on the pavement, and Bucky was acutely aware of his pounding heart and shaky breathing.

“Don’t be.” 

As their hired car rounded another corner, Steve’s hand came up to rest on the back of Bucky’s neck, steady and reassuring. “You know you don’t have to do this, right?” Steve said. “Not for me. Say the word and I’ll cancel the whole thing.”

“No,” Bucky stopped him with a firm reply. “No. I want to, I do. I’m just nervous.” He chuckled half-heartedly as he gave Steve what he hoped was a reassuring smile.

Steve sighed and kissed the side of Bucky’s head before brushing back a strand of hair that had fallen from his ponytail. “Don’t focus on them.” The hand on the back of Bucky’s neck tightened. “Focus on me. Just me, okay?”

Bucky ducked his head and swallowed hard past the lump in his throat. Hair tickled his cheek as more strands slipped out of their tie. _Focus on Steve. Yeah, he could do that. Probably._

Even with the comfort of having Steve next to him, Steve’s body radiating heat and his words echoing in Bucky’s head, the storm roiling inside of Bucky’s chest raged on. He could feel his pulse in his ears, getting louder with every passing second. God, he hadn’t been this nervous in years. He might have found his own reaction amusing if his heart hadn’t been threatening to beat right out of his ribcage. _Breathe_ , he reminded himself. _Just breathe._

“Bucky?”

“Hmm?” Bucky looked around, surprised to find that at some point they’d stopped moving. Their car had pulled up at the curb beside a modest, unmarked business-front, nestled in between a travel agent on one side and a small bakery on the other.

“Are you ready?”

Bucky nodded silently, his mouth suddenly too dry to speak. He barely noticed their surroundings as Steve helped him out of the car and waved off the driver, before leading Bucky to the entrance; a discrete, black door with frosted glass panes. The small panel beside the door flashed green as Steve waved his keycard at it, and the heavy clunk of machinery echoed as the door unlocked. Holding it open, Steve gestured him inside.

Stepping across the threshold was like entering another world. The door shut behind them, the lock engaging again with a definitive click. Instantly, the noise of the street disappeared as the perpetual low hum and clamor of the city was replaced by soft, classical piano from the carefully hidden speakers. Black leather couches and settees were scattered throughout the room, interspersed with low tables and piles of artfully arranged cushions. The dark burgundy carpet was plush and thick underfoot, and cozy, private alcoves lined the room, bathed in low, warm lighting.

Steve laid a hand on the small of Bucky’s back and guided him through the room until they reached another plain black door. Steve stopped in front of it and turned towards Bucky, bringing his hands up to cup Bucky’s face.

“Remember,” he said as his hands gripped Bucky’s jaw. His blue eyes were serious as Bucky stared into them, unable to break away even if he’d wanted to. “Focus on me.”

Bucky nodded. His breathing was starting to even out now, and he could feel the quiet and calm starting to sink into his bones. His mind was going soft and fuzzy at the corners; the gentle lull of the piano over the speakers and the steady grip of Steve’s hands beginning to pull him down into that space before they’d even gotten started.

“Good,” Steve murmured as he leaned in and kissed Bucky lightly on the lips. “Let’s go ahead then. Everyone’s waiting.”

Bucky felt a sudden return of his nerves as he reached for the hem of his shirt; his hands had the faintest tremor in them as he pulled the material over his head. Steve knelt in front of him, and one at a time Bucky picked up his feet, allowing Steve to slip off his tennis shoes and socks. Bucky’s hands were clumsy as he worked at the button of his jeans. Steve reached out and wrapped a large hand around Bucky's own, stilling his trembling fingers as Steve’s other hand easily undid the button and zipper. He helped Bucky to push the material to the floor along with his boxers and Bucky stepped out of them. Carefully, Steve folded everything into a neat pile and deposited it onto one of the couches before facing Bucky again.

Although they were similar in height, tonight Steve seemed to tower over him. The suit he wore was designer; clearly expensive and tailored to fit him perfectly. The charcoal gray pants were cinched in at the waist by a leather belt, supple and dark, and the jacket hung open over a perfectly pressed button-down. He’d forgone the tie for the evening, but even without it the difference between them was night and day. Steve, dressed to the nines, strong and in control; and Bucky, naked and vulnerable. Despite the warmth of the room, Bucky shivered. Steve reached out and lightly traced his fingers over Bucky’s throat, just the slightest hint of pressure. Bucky shivered again, and Steve gave him a small, pleased smile. 

“Hold on,” he said, and Bucky felt him reach for the tie in Bucky’s hair and pull it out. Bucky’s hair fell loose, almost down to his shoulders. Steve’s fingers ran through the newly freed strands, scratching warm lines across Bucky’s scalp. “God you’re gorgeous like this,” Steve murmured.

Bucky felt his face do something complicated, and he resisted the urge to duck and blush. Steve wouldn’t like that, and that’s what this was about now, Bucky reminded himself. He was doing this for Steve, a gift for him, showing him that for his dom, Bucky could endure anything.

Steve crooked a finger at him, and Bucky bowed his head obediently as Steve produced a small length of black silk from his breast pocket. He draped the material over Bucky’s eyes and pulled, expertly tying the excess into a knot at the back of Bucky’s head.

When Bucky raised his head again, he couldn’t see anything. The blindfold obscured his vision, plunging the room around him into darkness. With nothing else to focus on, the beat of his heart suddenly seemed louder, the rush of his blood thunderous. For a moment he froze, feeling unpleasantly unmoored, but then Steve’s hands were on his shoulders, his grip warm and sure. Bucky felt his breath escape in a sigh of relief.

“You have your word?” Steve’s voice was like a lighthouse, guiding Bucky towards him.

He nodded. “Yes.”

“Repeat if for me.”

Bucky swallowed heavily. “Winter.”

“Very good. From here on, you don’t speak unless you need the scene to stop,” Steve told him, his tone dropping into a low purr that reverberated through Bucky’s chest. “Are you ready?”

Bucky nodded, and suddenly found that his nerves had fled. Steve’s hand returned to the small of his back to steady him, and Bucky heard the click of the door opening and then closing behind them as Steve guided him forward. His steps were sure and even; he trusted Steve to lead him safely.

There was a murmuring in the room, whispered conversations that stopped almost as soon as they entered. Bucky could feel eyes on him as they walked. He didn’t need to see to picture how it looked. The room they’d entered was much like the one they’d left; black walls, leather couches, and low lighting, though the carpet here was changed out for tile. The couches lined the walls, all facing inwards towards the middle of the room; empty for now. The low hum of conversation slowly picked back up, but the tone had changed. The air in the room felt charged, full of electricity. Bucky wondered how many people were here. Suddenly he was glad for the blindfold.

Steve brought him to a gentle stop after a few more steps. His hand disappeared from Bucky’s back, leaving his skin momentarily bereft. However, it didn’t take long for Bucky to be distracted by a new sensation. There was rope, soft and supple hemp, being wrapped around his right ankle. He felt a tug as his foot was pulled to the side and the rope tested for strength. His left ankle received the same treatment, and this time, when Steve pulled his foot to the side to tie it down, it forced Bucky’s legs to spread wide. His cock hung soft between his thighs, and Bucky’s cheeks burned with the sudden desire to cover himself from so many eyes.

He didn’t do it though, remaining still and passive, arms at his sides and head held high.

“Good boy.”

Steve’s voice was low and soothing, pitched for Bucky alone, as he moved on to Bucky’s wrists, wrapping the soft, braided rope firmly around them. Steve let out a small grunt as he threw the excess length of rope over the steel beam that Bucky knew hung from the ceiling for just this purpose. The blindfold still blacked out Bucky’s vision, and so when Steve was done, he had to guide Bucky’s hands to grasp the loose end of the rope that now dangled down in front of him.

“I’ve left you plenty of slack in case you want to move.” Steve’s breath tickled the back of Bucky’s neck as he left the rope in Bucky’s hands. Steve moved around him, checking the integrity of his knots, his voice low. “But I know you’ll stay still to show everyone just how good you are.”

Bucky nodded. He could do that. He could be good for Steve. The thought of it, of Steve’s praise, of Bucky making him proud like this, had him biting his bottom lip to keep from saying something.

The knots must have passed muster, because suddenly Steve was in front of him again, standing so close that Bucky could feel the whisper-soft material of Steve’s jacket against his skin. One of Steve’s hands ran through Bucky’s hair again, and Bucky leaned into the touch before Steve tightened his grip. Bucky let out a little noise of happiness at the bright sparks of pain that danced along his scalp.

“My beautiful boy.” Steve let go of his hair and Bucky whimpered, unable to stop himself. Steve’s fingers drew a path down behind his ear and across the angle of his jaw, feather-light and not enough. “I’ll be watching,” Steve said, and then the touch was gone as the soft sound of Steve’s footsteps receded from him.

Between his legs, Bucky could feel his cock twitching at the thought. His body was buzzing. There was a vibration rattling its way through his bones, a shuddering that threatened to burst from his skin as he waited. It was killing him, this in between time. He was ready. They’d talked tonight to death for the last few weeks, but now Bucky was done with talking. He wanted to _do_. Steve’s footsteps stopped as Bucky tried hard to not let his impatience show. He could feel Steve’s eyes on him, knew he must be on the couch directly across from him. The best seat in the house to watch his boy.

The room had gotten steadily louder since they’d walked in. Steve must have given them a signal. The noise of people all around him somehow made the anticipation worse. There were fire ants under his skin, carbonation running through his blood. He was a live wire waiting to electrocute the first person brave enough to touch him. The wait grew longer and longer as Bucky’s breath came fast and shallow. Sweat started to collect at his temples.

The first touch, when it finally came, was like lightning. It was like stepping out onto the third rail during a thunderstorm. He gasped, a great inhale of air, as a hand came down firmly on his backside. It was a solid hit, open-palmed and stinging, but not the strongest he’d ever felt, not by a longshot. Still, the surprise of it had him open-mouthed as the hand left smarting skin in its wake.

He had barely a moment to recover himself before there was another hit and then another. The blindfold disoriented him, the lack of vision keeping him off keel. The hands that came down on him spared no inch of his ass. One particularly vicious slap got him at the crease where his ass met the back of his thigh, and Bucky groaned as his skin burned from the hit. He felt hot and feverish. His skin was on fire, and he knew he’d be cherry-red by now. Steve always loved the way Bucky looked after a good spanking. The last time he’d given him one, he’d hauled Bucky in front of their full-length mirror and given him a good look at his red, abused skin before fucking him right there on the floor. Bucky’s cock, half hard already, grew stiffer with the memory.

Something fizzy bubbled through him as he sank into the bright wash of pain. He was drifting down, the spanks becoming nothing more than pleasant white noise at the back of his mind, when a set of nails, long and sharp, raked down his chest. His gasp was louder this time, and the nails dug in harder, digging fiery furrows across his skin. Another hand, the fingers thicker and blunter than the ones on his chest, gripped his ass and squeezed. The sharp flare of pain from the irritated skin had him nearly breathless. The nails on his chest were gone, replaced by small, nimble fingers that traced gentle circles around his nipples, before delivering a vicious twist that coincided with another resounding smack to his backside.

Bucky cried out; the sound punched out of his throat before he had the chance to stop it. His cock was fully hard now, heavy against his thigh as he arched his back, every muscle in his body tensed at once. There was a small appreciative laugh, the voice definitely female, as the movement pushed his chest out and his nipples were twisted again.

It was harder to focus than he’d thought it would be. With the blindfold on and his hands and feet tied tight, there was nothing to distract him, nothing to take his attention away from the feel and smell and sound of it all. Every sense he had was magnified with the absence of his sight; the shuffle and rustle of clothing as people moved around him, the smell of perfume and cologne intermingled in the air. He had miles of skin, thousands of nerve endings, and even the lightest touch had him close to gasping. How did Steve look right now? Was he lounging lazily on the couch, watching the show with that infuriatingly unruffled composure? Or was he as on edge as Bucky, eyes sharp and body held rapt with attention as Bucky moaned and writhed under the touch of strangers?

There was someone’s hand in his hair, twisting the strands until they forced Bucky’s head back, exposing his throat. He swallowed hard as he felt someone caress the delicate skin there, a teasing promise that there might be more to come. Something soft brushed over his chest, tickled his hips, and then down his thighs. Bucky grinned at the sensation. He knew the touch of that particular fabric; was intimately familiar with it in fact. Suede flogger, if he had to guess; one of Steve’s favorites. He nearly whimpered thinking about the things Steve had done with that same tool as the silky leather swept over the swell of his ass.

There was a soft swishing noise and the tickle of the multiple strips of leather across his skin as whoever held the flogger flicked it through the air. Another tap of the leather against him, and another. The touch of it was almost gentle as it wrapped around the backs of his thighs and skirted the crease of his groin. He inhaled sharply as it skimmed the delicate skin of his sac, the feeling of something so casually close and potentially painful almost sickly sweet. Without meaning to, Bucky found himself pulling tight against his ropes, his body reaching for _something_. The feelings were too little, too soft, and he found himself craving the harder hits that ignited his insides and sent his head spinning. That wonderful feeling of being at someone else’s mercy; open and vulnerable and wanting _more_.

His heart seemed to beat in time with each strike. He could feel the others around him, pressing in close, watching and waiting to touch, but always, _always_ he could feel Steve’s eyes, the heady weight of his gaze like honey, smooth and warm on Bucky’s skin. Someone reached out and drew a path over his abdomen with light, curious fingertips. They traced the flat planes of his stomach, and Bucky’s cock jumped against his leg as the fingers twitched down lower. They moved down and down, curling over his hip bones and across his groin, dragging through the neatly trimmed hair over his cock.

 _“Ahhh, ah!”_ Bucky cried out as a sudden wet heat engulfed his cock. A tongue curled around it and lapped at the head with a warm pressure and friction that he could feel clear down to his toes. The person ministering to him was enthusiastic with their task, sucking and licking until stars burst behind Bucky’s eyes. Someone else was behind him, their mouth on his neck, breathing hot against the shell of his ear. He felt lips on his skin, and then the sharp nip of pointed teeth bit at the delicate junction of neck and shoulder.

Another cry escaped him as his body tensed, muscles like steel cords. He didn’t seem capable of making any other noise except the wordless, formless cry that escaped as his back arched into a perfect bow. He chased the twin sensations, unsure of where to go or how to stretch his body to get what he wanted, what he _needed_. The person at his feet swallowed around him, and the head of Bucky’s cock bumped up against the back of their throat. Bucky let out a breathy moan as something uncoiled inside him like spun gold or liquid honey pooling in his belly. There were hands on his chest, a hand gripping his hair tight, still another hand tracking along the curve of his back, dipping down towards his hole.

Bucky was at the edge of a cliff, hurtling towards the drop-off at a million miles a minute, faster and faster as sensations slammed into him. His hands clenched around the rope as he held onto it like the last lifeline pulling a drowning man to shore. His hips bucked up of their own accord, and Bucky moaned long and low as he fucked his cock further into that warm wetness.

And then it was gone. Bucky made a noise of aggravation at its loss, biting his tongue to keep any words from slipping out. There was pressure in his groin, and his cock throbbed as it dried in the rapidly cooling air. There was a deep chuckle and instantly Bucky went still. _Steve_. An electric thrill raced down his spine at the thought of Steve watching him squirm, desperate to come in someone else’s mouth.

There was a rustle behind him. It was all the warning he had before the flogger struck him again. The extensions splayed across his lower back and his ass, and then down further onto his thighs, coming close enough to his balls for him to shiver with eagerness. Whoever was doing it kept the pattern varied, never striking the same place twice in a row. The unexpectedness of it all did a wonderful job at keeping Bucky on his toes as his mind sank down; the soft, repetitive thudding turning into white noise as his thoughts quieted. The person holding the flogger started to ramp up, leaving less time between hits. The intensity mounted as something built inside of him, starting in his legs and working up, that familiar sickly sweet ache. Wetness smeared his thighs from his dripping cock.

A hand wrapped around his it, large and warm and slick with lube. He shouted at the suddenness of it. Fingers tugged at his lower lip as the flogger thudded dully against his side. Another hand pulled at his jaw, forcing it open wide, and Bucky eagerly opened, curling his tongue around the person’s fingers, reveling in the salt-sweet taste of them. A noise rang out, loud and insistent, and behind the blindfold, Bucky’s half-lidded eyes flew open. It didn’t change the fact that he couldn’t see, more of a reaction than anything.

The fingers in his mouth vanished as quickly as they’d appeared as a voice murmured something in Steve’s direction that Bucky couldn’t quite make out. They sounded apologetic. _Of course_. He should have known. There was no way Steve would let anything happen that might impede his ability to speak, to safe word out if he wanted to, no matter how enthusiastic he might seem about the prospect.

He didn’t have time to be disappointed. The hand around his cock squeezed tight, bringing him to the brink in quick, hard strokes. Whoever held him had rough hands, calloused and nothing like Steve’s at all. The pace they set was brutal; fast and punishing, less guiding Bucky back to that edge than pushing him sharply toward it. It was barely any time at all before he was panting, breath coming hot and heavy as he tried desperately to chase that feeling down. He pulled so heavily on his bindings that he knew he’d have a ring of bruises around his wrists and ankles come morning. He wondered what Steve would do with them. Maybe he’d take Bucky’s battered limbs in hand, press down onto the bruises until the ache settled into Bucky’s bones. He could feel his orgasm starting to boil up through his blood as he strained, further and further until-

He nearly screamed in disappointment as once again it all vanished; the hands on his cock, his chest, his neck. Even the beat of the flogger was gone. The room was almost silent save for Bucky’s own harsh breathing as he struggled to not let go of the rope. He could do it. It would be easy to slip the knots Steve had made, to wrap his own hand around his throbbing cock and stroke himself until he came. He doubted it would take more than a few seconds at this point. He was teetering on that cliff edge, rocks skittering under his feet and the ground moving beneath him as his desire to please Steve won out over his desire to come. But it was hard, so hard, just the thought of Steve now, of his blue eyes, dark and dangerous, as he watched his boy struggle, of his hands and mouth and cock and...

Small tremors shook him as he came back down. Slowly, his muscles unclenched as the knot in his stomach unraveled. The first feel of a hand on his backside was like heaven. It was a saving grace, pulling his thoughts from his frustration over not being allowed to come. He’d come when Steve decided and not a moment before.

The sound rang throughout the room as another hand came down on his ass, the entire area still sensitive from the repeated spankings. His bruised skin wouldn’t tolerate much more, and Bucky knew that Steve would be watching, making sure that Bucky wasn’t pushed past his limit. The build-up was minimal this time; the hits stayed light but the hand that delivered them strayed into more dangerous places. Bucky hissed as a palm came down flat on his sensitive inner thigh, so close that his cock twitched against his thigh at the near miss. Someone ran their fingers across the spot, a soothing gesture which turned into a pinch that made him yelp as the flogger rejoined the fray, and oh, Bucky could get used to this. He wondered if they could make this a regular thing, once a month maybe. Bucky submitting to anyone and everyone as Steve devoured the sight like a starving person.

Mercifully, miraculously, he was saved before that train of thought sent him right off the tracks. The mouth on his cock this time was different than the first one. Larger, with full lips that wrapped around him as the person took in Bucky nearly to the base of his cock. He could feel their breath where their nose was almost buried in his neat thatch of hair. Their tongue was dexterous as it wrapped around his length, laving at it with the kind of enthusiasm that Bucky normally had for Steve’s.

_“Fu-“_

Bucky’s mouth snapped shut as he realized the mistake he almost made. A long moan ripped itself from his throat instead as the person bobbed up and down on his cock, and then it was an onslaught of sensation, a wave that he was powerless to stop. Someone pulled him back by the hair again, exposing the long lines of his neck as another mouth sucked at the skin there with fervor. Nimble fingers tugged at his nipples, and he wasn’t going to last this time, not at all. He was close, he was _so close_. He gasped, gulping great breaths of air as he felt someone spread him open and licked a single, hot line to his hole. Bucky’s toes curled, his hands clenched so hard his fingernails threatened to break the skin, as he thrashed in the grip of so many strangers working together to pull his orgasm from him. The hands spread him wider and a tongue thrust in, thick and slippery, the tip of it working past the tight ring of muscle as the person sucking him off swallowed again and again, burying his cock in warm pressure against the back of their throat and-

He wailed as they all pulled away in synchronicity. He was unashamed of the noises he made as he sobbed in frustration. There was nothing to be ashamed of because he wasn’t Bucky, wasn’t Steve’s boy, wasn’t anything but _want_ and _need_ and _please, please, please_ -

Someone wrapped around him, Bucky’s back to their chest and their long arms enfolding him, gripping him tightly across the chest. It was Steve, and Bucky sobbed harder. He could feel tears slipping from beneath the blindfold, tracking their way across his face. Steve pulled Bucky to him, Bucky’s naked body flush with Steve’s clothed one. The material of Steve’s suit was cool against Bucky’s abused skin. He was surrounded by Steve, enveloped by him, the sound and smell and familiar comfort of him.

“Beautiful.” Steve’s voice was strained like he was holding himself back. His lips brushed the shell of Bucky’s ear as he spoke and his breath was hot on Bucky’s neck. “My beautiful boy, you did so good, _so good_ -“ As he babbled reassurances his large hand gripped Bucky’s cock, still wet with lube and saliva.

The touch was electrifying, like dunking himself in ice water and sinking into a hot bath all at once. Bucky’s mouth gaped open wordlessly as he arched back, his body forming itself to Steve’s. “Ahhh, ahhh, ahh!” he panted wildly as Steve stroked him.

“That’s it,” Steve told him. “That’s it, gorgeous. You made me so happy tonight, so proud. Now just let go, I’ve got you, I’ve got you-”

Bucky thought he screamed as he came, but he couldn’t be sure because everything, all of existence, blinked out, just for a second, and then he was back. Everything was centered on the feeling of Steve’s hand around him as his cock pulsed, his entire world narrowed down to Steve’s hand and his own cock. Every muscle in his body clenched. He was a guitar string, overwound and fit to snap. His skin buzzed, his blood bubbled, and sounds he hadn’t even known he could make poured from his mouth. Steve stroked him through it all, whispering in his ear even though all Bucky could hear was a far-off ringing. Tremors racked his body, little aftershocks that threatened to shake him apart as he continued to come. He didn’t know how long it lasted; seconds or minutes or maybe even hours. None of it mattered because he was safe in the circle of Steve’s arms.

He was vaguely aware of movement around him as the blindfold was unknotted and thrown aside. After so long in the dark, even the low lighting was too much for him, and he blinked rapidly trying to adjust. The tension on his limbs eased as Steve undid the ropes, and Bucky slumped down like a broken marionette before Steve caught him. Steve produced a blanket from somewhere and wrapped it around Bucky. The loss of Steve’s arms holding him tight, even for a second, had Bucky blinking back sudden tears. Then Steve was lowering him gently to the floor, tucking the blanket in around his limbs as he pulled Bucky in towards him. Bucky curled up on Steve’s lap, dazed and sated. The blanket was kitten-soft on his overheated skin and Bucky drew it tighter around himself despite the warmth and the sweat dampening his temples. Steve hummed gently as he ran a soothing hand through Bucky’s hair, so different from his earlier touches. Bucky’s eyes drifted closed and he floated lazily through that liminal space between waking and dreaming.

It was nice to be able to see again. It was only the promise of laying eyes on Steve’s face, golden and glowing despite the low lighting of the room, that kept his eyelids from closing in full-out sleep. That and the fact that he didn’t think it would be fair to make Steve haul his passed out boyfriend outside to the car. Bucky was sure he’d never hear the end of that one.

Bucky floated delicately through his blissed-out haze as he slowly, slowly came back to himself. Things around him started to take shape and form and depth again. The floor was hard, bruising his hipbone even through the cushy fabric. He could smell Steve’s cologne and the sharp scent of his own sweat. Bucky grimaced as he shifted, feeling come drying on his thighs. Steve’s humming had ceased and he was now staring down at Bucky with the corners of his mouth crooked upward in a wistful smile.

“Gorgeous,” Steve said, his eyes tender.

Bucky smiled ruefully. “You keep saying that.”

“Well, it keeps being true.”

Bucky huffed, though it did little to hide how pleased he was with the compliment. “I did good?”

Steve brushed a strand of sweaty hair out of Bucky’s eyes before leaning down and kissing him on the forehead. “You did wonderful.”

“Good,” Bucky said, his eyes drifting closed again as he settled deeper into Steve’s lap. Cleaning up could wait; Bucky wanted a few more minutes of this, him and Steve and the contented silence that followed a good scene. Especially one as intense as this had been. “I liked it too. Wouldn’t mind doing it again sometime.”

Steve laughed and the sound was light and happy. “I’m sure that can be arranged.” He leaned over again, his lips brushing across Bucky’s skin. “I love you, Bucky.”

Bucky yawned, his entire body curling in like a cat basking in the sun. He was lucky, warm and comfortable, and satiated. He could think of nowhere else he’d rather be than here in Steve’s arms. “I love you too.”


End file.
